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Roads: GTA West Corridor—Highway 413

^ In some locations it won't just be in the vicinity of the Greenbelt, it will actually bisect it.

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I'm afraid we'll have to disagree on the need.

I believe we can meet existing travel demand in this area by shifting people's modality. (ie. beefing up transit choices).

A new highway, like the 407 before it, will act as a sprawl promoter; and will induce additional traffic. Not desirable.

There are these things called trucks. Not so easy to shift their modality as the GTA population grows steadily.

GTA West would greatly alleviate all trucks heading east on 401 then north on 400. The interchange badly needs relief.
My brothers company makes bolts. Maybe we can give a handful of bolts to ever person who takes a form of transit and have them deliver the products instead of trucks.
 
Would a Hwy 413 Extension to Stouffville be needed too, or just a complete fantasy?
I see the bigger problem that the Yonge corridor has a wall of development that doesn't have space for a highway to punch through.
The only thing that is remotely close if to go roughly parallel to King-Vaughan Road and Stoufville Road.
 
I see the bigger problem that the Yonge corridor has a wall of development that doesn't have space for a highway to punch through.
The only thing that is remotely close if to go roughly parallel to King-Vaughan Road and Stoufville Road.
This area is essentially the entire cause of the greenbelt act in the early 2000's - the province did a land swap where they took over this sensitive land from a developer in exchange for lands in Seaton (North Pickering). It's environmentally sensitive and while "undeveloped", running a 400 series highway through it is essentially impossible.
 
Except the 407 is not north enough. It would be nice to have a 400 series highway cutting through RURAL areas, connecting the 401 in the west with the 401 in the east, potentially outside of the GTA (except a bit in York and Durham).

Nooo that's cutting right through the heart of the Greenbelt and Oakridges Moraine.
 
If this new highway is tolled It won't alleviate that 400/401 traffic crunch like people are hoping.
 
^ In some locations it won't just be in the vicinity of the Greenbelt, it will actually bisect it.

View attachment 163872

The benefit of the proposed highway is to alleviate parts of the 400 and 401 but seeing how it hits a bunch of designated employment areas and upcoming residential development, it would certainly help relieve the 410 and even 427. Also, won't those agricultural areas (sand colour) eventually be redeveloped into residential and commercial land anyways?

The only caveat I'd attach to this highway is 1. toll it (which most seem to agree on) and 2. build a proper transit link in the ROW i.e. BRT with the ability to upgrade to RER. Use that to connect to existing and future GO RER lines i.e. Kitchener, Barrie and potential link to Woodbridge/Bolton.

The best way to alleviate the traffic crunch on the 400/401 is to make the 407 more affordable to use.

While certainly true, I worry that making the 407 more affordable would actually create gridlock along its route.
 
^ In some locations it won't just be in the vicinity of the Greenbelt, it will actually bisect it.

View attachment 163872

To be fair, that section between the 427 extension and the 400 is likely be built as a future extension of the 427 even without the GTA West highway. I believe there's a medium to long-term plan somewhere to have the 427 veer east and connect to the 400.
 
If this new highway is tolled It won't alleviate that 400/401 traffic crunch like people are hoping.
no those highways will always be busy, but it will offer an alternative if you want to go up north on the 400 from the western end of the GTA without ever having to go through central Toronto like you do today.

For example, Oakville - Barrie. Today you either pay $25-$30 in 407 tolls to go around the city, or cut right through by the airport. With this, even if it is tolled (presumably less harshly than the 407), you could bypass it all, including the badly congested 400 through Vaughan (which you can't with the 407).
 
no those highways will always be busy, but it will offer an alternative if you want to go up north on the 400 from the western end of the GTA without ever having to go through central Toronto like you do today.

For example, Oakville - Barrie. Today you either pay $25-$30 in 407 tolls to go around the city, or cut right through by the airport. With this, even if it is tolled (presumably less harshly than the 407), you could bypass it all, including the badly congested 400 through Vaughan (which you can't with the 407).

The problem with this logic is that this exact statement was made in the 1950s/60s except it referred to the then 'Toronto Bypass' errrr 401.

People were saying much the same when the 407 arrived on the scene; finally we can get up to Richmond Hill without having to pass through Toronto.............

How did that work out? It didn't. The sprawl followed, and what was once a bypass became another highway surrounded by growing City.

It won't be any different this time.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Ah, you say, but there is a Greenbelt. Would this be the one the highway will mangle? Might we refer back to the corridor that is now the 407 which was once billed as a Greenbelt for the region (with no statutory protection as such) .

Perhaps we would refer to BCs restrictive Agriculture Land Reserve in the lower mainland, whose boundaries were conveniently moved when they were in the way.

Or, back to our own Greenbelt, the one the Liberals cut a hole into near Innisfil to retain an employer.

If you put this highway in, you will irreovacbly damage the greenbelt and encourage sprawl.

Its simply not the way forward.
 
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The problem with this logic is that this exact statement was made in the 1950s/60s except it referred to the then 'Toronto Bypass' errrr 401.

People were saying much the same when the 407 arrived on the scene; finally we can get up to Richmond Hill without having to pass through Toronto.............

How did that work out? It didn't. The sprawl followed, and what was once a bypass became another highway surrounded by growing City.

It don't be any different this time.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Ah, you say, but there is a Greenbelt. Would this be the one the highway will mangle? Might we refer back to the corridor that is now the 407 which was once billed as a Greenbelt for the region (with no statutory protection as such) .

Perhaps we would refer to BCs restrictive Agriculture Land Reserve in the lower mainland, whose boundaries were conveniently moved when they were in the way.

Or, back to our own Greenbelt, the one the Liberals cut a whole into near Innisfil to retain an employer.

If you put this highway in, you will irreovacbly damage the greenbelt and encourage sprawl.

Its simply not the way forward.
Then maybe it’s time for a single cross provincial highway NORTH of Lake Simcoe, as a true Toronto Bypass. :p
 

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